Synchronous-motor electric audible-signal clock



Dec. 15, 1931. E. L. CARLSON 1,836,957

SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR ELECTRIC AUDIBLE SIGNAL CLOCK i 2 sheets sheet Filed June 13, 1930 Dec. 15, 1931. E. CARLSON 1,336,957

SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR ELECTRIC AUDIBLE SIGNAL CLOCK Filed June 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III I II I II II Minn! Patented Dec. 15, 1931' UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE ELOF L. CALI-SON, OI BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB '10 THE E. HIGH-LEAH COI- rm, OI BRISTOL, com-(7mm, A CORPORATION mcimoxous-uo'roa ammo aunmm-smiux. cnocx as will ap Application filed June 18,

This invention relates to an im rovement in electric audible-signal clocks suc as alarm clocks, strike clocks, chime clocks, or combinations ofthe same, and relates in particular to electric clocks of the character referred to which are driven by continuously-rotatin synchronous motors, and of the same genera character as that shown in'my co-pending application filed June 13, 1930, Serial No. 460,860.

The main object of this invention is to provide an electric clock of the type referred to with improved and substantia ly troubleproof means for periodically coupling an audible-signal mechanism to the continuousl -rotating synchronous motor utilized for riving the time-indicating means.

With the above and other objects in view,

ar from the following my invention consists in an electric audible-signal clock characterized by its rovision with a continuously-rotating sync ronous electric motor; time-indicating means driven thereby; a normally-idle audible-signal mechanism actuable by the said motor; means for coupling the said audible-signal mechanism to and uncoupling the same from' the said motor, includlng a pair of complementary co-axial rotary members, each rovided wit a coupling-abutment and one 0 which is constantly driven by the said motor and one of which is axially slidablefor engaging its coupling-abutment with and disenga 'ng the same from the coupling-abutment 0 its complementary co-axial rotary member; and an automatic control-mechanism operatively connected to the axially-slidable rotary member formoving the coupling-abutment thereof into and out of engagement with the coupling-abutment of it complementary c0 axial rotary member.

My invention further consists in an electric audible-signal clock characterized as above and having certain other details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a chronous-motor alarm clock movement il usioao. mm 80.480361.

trating one form which my invention may assume, the parts being shown in the pos1-- Fig. 5 is a broken detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig; 4;

Fig. 6 is a pers ective view of the hammeractuating wheel etached; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the driving-pinion of the synchronous motor.

In the alarm clock herein chosen for the illustration of my invention, I employ a synchronous motor which may be of any approved form and in principle is so well understood in the art as to require no description other than to say that it is enclosed within a casing 10 secured to the rear movement-'1 plate 11' of the movement, and is provided with an arbor 12 forwardly projecting through an aperture 13 in the said rear movement-plate, and carr ing a driving-pinion 14 meshing into and riving a gear-wheel 15 mounted upon an arbor 16 journalled at its rear end in the rear movement-plate 11, already referred to, and at its front endjournalled in the complementary front movementplate 17 coupled to the said rear movementplate b ythe usual pillars 18.

The arbor 16, above referred to, carries near its forward end a pinion 19, meshing into and driving a minute-wheel 20 staked upon the center-arbor 21. The said centerarbor is journalled in the rear and front movement-plates l1 and 17 and projects forwardly from the latter and carries at its extreme forward end a minute-hand 22 indicated by broken lines in Figs. 2 and 3.

Immediately forward of the front movement-plate 17 the center-arbor 21, above described; has secured to it a cannon-pinion 23 meshing into and driving a dial-wheel 24, carrying a dial-pinion 25 and mounted together with the same upon a stud 26 forwardly projecting from the front movementplate'l7 in the usual manner of clock-dial work. The dial-pinion 25 meshes into and drives an hour-wheel 27 staked upon an hoursleeve 28, sleeved over and rotating freely upon the projecting forward end of the center-arbor 21, and carrying at its forward end the usual hour-hand 29, indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2.

The parts previously described constitute a synchronous time-train for indicating the time in consonance with the beat of an alternating current, in the usual manner of synchronous-motor electric clocks.

The dial-pinion 25 before referred to also meshes into and drives an alarm-cam wheel 30 staked to the hub 31 of a sleeve-like alarmcam 32mounted upon the forward end of an alarm-set staff 33 with freedom for relative rotation and axial movement thereon. The said sleeve-like alarm-cam 32 is formed with the usual alarm-cam contour, consisting of :1. rise 34, a low-point 35, and a high-dwell 36.

The alarm-set staff 33 carries at its forward end a radially-offsetting alarm-cam finger 37 co-acting with the outer face of the alarm-cam 32 in the usual manner of alarm clocks, and at its rear end mounts the usual knurled finger-button 38.

The rear end of the hub 31 of the alarmcam 32 bears against the front edge of an alarm-control lever 39 mounted between the front and rear movement-plates 17 and 11, for oscillation forward and back therebetween and composed, as shown in Fig. 5, of a pair of complementary sheet-metal parts 39 and 39 secured together into a unitary element by means of rivets 40. The said lever is provided with a transverse trunnion-pin 41 oscillating at its respective opposite ends in ears 4242 integral with and struck rearward from the material of the front movement-plate 17.

As will be seen by reference to Figs. 4 and 5, the said control-lever 39 is formed with a clearance-opening 43 through which the alarm-set staff 33 projects and with a forked lower end 44 embracing the driving-arbor 12.

Mounted upon the driving-arbor 12 of the synchronous motor, with freedom for relative rotation with respect thereto, is a hammer-actuating wheel 45 having its periphery formed with triangular teeth 46 co-acting with an actuating-pin 47 forwardly offsetting from a hammer-arm '48 which latter is formed of sheet-metal and provided at its upper end with an integral cross-bar 49 terminating at its respective opposite ends in trunnions 50 rocking in suitable hearing openings 51 in the front and rear movementplates 17 and 11.

The hammer-arm 48 is swung from right to left so as to cause its head 52 to strike a bell 53 by means of a torsion-spring 54, the

said bell being supported by a U-shaped bracket 55 depending from the lower edge of the front movement-plate 17.

The hammer-actuating wheel 45 is provided with a hub 56 formed in its periphery with an annular groove 57 receiving in its ends a pair of complementary pins 5858 mounted in the forked lower end 44 of the controllever 39, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. a

For the purpose of periodically coupling the hammer-actuating wheel 45 to the synchronous motor for being driven thereby, I provide the said hammer-actuating wheel with a coupling-pin 59 having a wedgeshaped rear end and rearwardly projecting from the said wheel 45 for co-action with a wedge-shaped coupling-pin 60 forwardly projecting from the motor-pinion 14.

To provide for manually shutting 0d the alarm-mechanism after the same has been automatically sounded, I employ a horizontally-arranged reciprocating alarm shut-ofi plunger 61 carrying a finger-button 62 at'its forward end and mounted for reciprocation in the bearing-sleeve 63 forwardly projecting from the front movement-plate 17 and having its forward end split as at 64 for the purpose of frictionally holding the said plunger 61 in any given position of adjustment.

The rear end of the alarm shut-oil plunger 61 bears against the forward edge of the upper end of the control-lever 39 so that when rearward pressure is applied to the fingerbutton 62, the upper end of the lever 39 will be swung rearward against the counter-urge of a spring 65 encircling the alarm-set staff 33 and hearing at its rear end against the forward face of the rear movement-plate 11 and at its forward end bearing against a washer 66 resting against the rear face of the said control-lever 39.

As the upper end of the control-lever 39 is swung rearward by the alarm shut-ofi' plunger 61, as just above described, its lower end will be swung forward with the effect of sliding the hammer-actuating wheel 45 forward upon the arbor 12 of the motor to disengage the coupling-pin 59 of the said wheel 45 from the coupling-pin 60 of the motor-pinion 14. It is to be noted that the helical spring 65 exerts a constant effort to swing the controllever 39 in the direction as is required to slide the hammer-actuating wheel 45 rearward to engage its coupling-pin 59 with the couplingpin 60 of the motor-pinion 14.

In the operation of the alarm clock herein chosen for the illustration of my invention, the synchronous motor effects the continuous rotation of the minute-hand 22, the hourhand 29, the alarm-cam 32 and the motorpinion 14, but since the hammer-actuating wheel 45 is normally in its forward position, as shown in Fig. 2, so that its coupling-pin 59 is out of the path of movement of the coupling-pin 60, the hammer-arm 48 will not be vibrated for striking the bell 53.

Now in the continued rotation of the alarmcam 32, the low-point 35 thereof will be brought into registration with the alarm camfinger 37 so that the cam-wheel 30, together with the cam 32 and the hub 31, will be permitted to be snapped forward under the urge of the spring provided, of course, the manual shut-ofi' plunger 61 has been previously moved into its retired position by means of its finger-button 62 to permit such action, as shown in Fig. 3.

WVhen the cam 32 and its hub 31 are snapped forward by the spring 65, as just above described, the latter will also swing the controllever 39 from the position in which it is shown in Figs. 2 and 4 into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, with the effect of sliding the hammer-actuating wheel 45 rearward upon the arbor 12 so as to bring the coupling-pin 59 thereof into the path of the coupling-pin 60 of the continuously rotating pinion 14, thereby coupling the said hammer-actuating wheel 45 to the said pinion 14, and hence to the motor for being rotated thereby.

The rotation of the hamn'ier-actuating wheel 45, as thus effected, will cause the teeth 46 thereof to alternately swing the hammer-arm 48- outward and then permit the same to be snapped inward by the spring 54 at close intervals so as to effect the sounding of an alarm or other audible signal.

When it is desired to check the sounding of the alarm, the user of the clock slides the alarm shut-off plunger 61 inward by means of the finger-button 62 and thereby causes the same to swing the control-lever 39 from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 into the position in which it is shown in Figs. 2 and 4, with the effect of sliding the ammer-actuating wheel 45 forward upon the arbor 12 so as to disengage its couplingpin 59 from the coupling-pin 60 of the pinion 14.

The continued rotation of the alarm camwheel 30 will eventually cause the alarm-cam 32*to move axially inward under the alarm cam-finger 37 and thus cause the hub 31 to assume the burden of holding the controllever 39 in its retired position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, until the next automatic release of the alarm aft-er the manual shut-otl' device has been retired out of action by sliding the plunger 61 forward, as above described.

By employing two concentrically-mounted members, such as the wheel 46 and the pinion 14, and providing the same with interengaging abutments, the coupling and uncoupling of the alarm-actuating mechanism or other audible-sigiml mechanism, is readily accomplished without occasioning a jamming of the parts which might result in stalling the entire clock.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that my invention may assume varied physical forms without departing from my inventive concept and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the specific embodiment herein chosen for illustration, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an electric audible-signal clock, the combination with a continuously-rotating electric motor; time-indicating means driven thereby; a normally-idle audible-signal mechanism actuatable by the said motor; means for coupling the said audible-signal mechanism to and uncoupling the same from the said motor, including a pair of complementary co-axial rotary members, each provided with a coupling-abutment and one of which is constantly driven by the said motor and one of which is axially slidable for engaging its coupling-abutment with and disengaging the same from the coupling-abutment of its complementary co-axial rotary member; and an automatic control-mechanism, including a spring normally urging the said axially-slidable rotary member into coupled relationship with respect to its complementary rotary member and a cam driven by the said motor for moving the said axiallyslidable member out of coupled relationship with its complementary rotary member against the counter-urge of the said spring.

2. In an electric audible-signal clock, the combination with a continuously-rotating electric motor; time-indicating means driven thereby; a normally-idle audible-signal mechanism actuatable by the said motor; means for coupling the said audible-signal mechanism to and uncoupling the same from the said motor, including a pair of comple mentary co-axlal rotary members, each provided with a coupling-abutment and one of which is constantly driven by the said motor and one of which is axially slidable for en gaging its coupling-abutment with and disengaging the same from the coupling-abutment of its complementary co-axial rotary member; and an automatic control-mechanism, including an oscillating control-lever operatively connected to the rotary member, a spring acting through the said control-lever to urge the said axiallyslidable rotary member into coupled relationship with respect to its complementary rotary member, and a cam driven by the said motor and acting through the said controllever for moving the said axially slidable rotary member out of coupled relationship with respect to its complementary rotary member against the counter-urge of the said spring.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

ELOF L. CARLSON.

axially-slidable 

